Cold weather health warning: how to protect yourself

Make sure you prioritise your health and wellbeing this winter

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Cold temperatures are also a common trigger for dry skin

(Alamy/PA)

With temperatures plummeting across Britain, the current cold snap is placing extra strain on several parts of the body.

Dr Claire Agathou, co-founding GP of the AZ General Practice at the Wellington Hospital, part of HCA Healthcare UK, outlines the five body systems most affected by the cold - and her advice on staying healthy through the winter months.

Cold weather creates the perfect environment for viruses to thrive.

"Viruses can survive and circulate more easily in the cold, dry air and we also spend more time indoors which increases close contact and transmission," explains Agathou. "Cold air can also reduce the nose's local defences by slowing down mucus and the tiny hairs called cilia that track viruses.